The 'system' also made 120 pilots, some already with their wings, across the whole of FT redundant then a few years later invited them to come back in as the RAF needed them. Rather amazingly after such a lesson in loyalty a few accepted. I would suggest that the 'system' is even less able to predict its needs than you suggest!
('System': aka a group of seemingly otherwise intelligent senior officers who collectively couldn't organise the proverbial high spirited drinks party in a factory for the manufacture of alcoholic beverages).